Safe and Sound
by Misses Norris
Summary: Somebody once said Dixon's were like cockroaches, that nothing can kill them. I thought of my husband, my unborn son, and prayed they were right.
1. Chapter 1

She was stuck in a tank. A few days ago, Allie and her friend Morgan met a lawman named Rick. He said he was going to Atlanta to find his family, so she asked to tag along. It was easy to read the hesitation on his face, when he looked her over and warily eyed her belly. It had been almost 15 weeks since the dead started walking, making Allie around seven months pregnant. She told him that he had to take her, that by staying in King County they were sitting ducks. Eventually being the good man he was, the lawman agreed to take her and they left with the promise Morgan and his son Duane wouldn't be far behind. Rick seemed to have a head on his shoulders so pairing that with his bag of guns, Allie thought this might turn out well.

But right now, she's really starting to question her own judgment.

The pair arrived into the city, quiet like. The car from King County ran out of gas a ways back, but they were lucky enough to find a horse. The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion, but when she replays them in her mind it's the opposite, like someone is pressing fast forward on a tape. Her yell to stop didn't leave her mouth fast enough as Rick pulled his gun and shot the dead man standing in front of him. From living with Morgan, Allie learned loud noises are like ringing the dinner bell for these things. As predicted, they were immediately swarmed. Rick quickly jumped from the horse, then helped lift her off and together they dove under a tank. The dead began crawling under from all directions, and Allie looked up to see a hatch for them to crawl inside. The pair did, and immediately closed it.

An undead soldier was inside, but Allie quickly removed the knife from her combat boot and stabbed it in the eye, straight to the brain. "Don't go shootin' that gun again, cowboy. It got us in enough trouble."

Rick nodded, and looked up to see another hatch. Allie watched as he climbed up, and promptly closed it. "They're swarming the tank."

And that's how Allie ended up stuck in an army tank in downtown Atlanta. The heat outside had to have been in the 90s making the inside of this metal oven over a hundred. Sweat soaked her body making her red, knee length summer dress cling to her body. Her wild blonde curls were tied back in a ponytail, but the few loose strands stuck to her face. The lawman wasn't looking much better, as his once again easily-readable face told her his fear mirrored her own, and sweat seemed to drip from his face and soak his uniform. "We're going to die in here, if not from the dead, then heat stroke." She struggled to get out, her breath still not returned to her. Allie placed a hand on her stomach and shifted slightly when the baby moved in an uncomfortable position.

"You alright? Not hurt anywhere?" Rick asked, moving to look her over. She bit her lip and nodded as the baby delivered a rather strong kick.

"He's a little upset and very much awake." She grimaced. Rick looked like he was going to say more, but a voice from the radio stopped him.

"_Hey! You alive in there?" _Allie watched the lawman stumble over to pick up the radio. The voice was male and young, probably someone in their twenties. Allie watched as the two talked about their predicament.

"I got somebody with me, she's pregnant." Rick said after a moment, glancing at Allie.

"_Doesn't matter, you gotta' run where I told you to, and do it now." _Then the voice stopped.

"Run?!" Allie exclaimed. "That's the best plan he's got? Rick…I-I can't. I won't be able and slow you down." She shook her head, looking down at her belly. This was it for her.

She waited on the lawman to agree, but instead his hands grabbed her face to level it with his. "Look at me." He commanded. "Look at me, Allie." Her reluctant blue eyes found his. "You aren't dying here, not like this. I won't let you."

The pair stood, and went down the right side of the tank as instructed. Rick helped Allie out and down and held on to her hand as he lead them. Rick shot everything in their line of sight, and Allie held tightly onto the knife in her free hand.

"Whoa! Not dead!" A voice yelled as they turned the corner. She was right, he was probably in his twenties and looked to be Korean. "Come on, come on! Faster!" He lead them down an alley and up a ladder on the side of building. Allie followed the stranger up, Rick close behind her. They pulled off on the first landing.

Rick held his hands on his knees, Allie leaned against the building, and the stranger stood, all trying to catch their breath. Allie offered a shaky laugh and said, "Well that was too close for comfort."

"Nice moves there, Clint Eastwood. You the new sheriff, riding in to clean up the town?" The Korean asked sarcastically.

"It's not his fault, his don't know no better." Allie defended. Rick nodded to her, grateful.

"Whatever, yee haw. You're still a dumbass." He glared.

"I'm Rick, this is Allie. Thanks. " Rick offered his hand.

Allie thought he wasn't going to take it, but he grasped it, shaking and said. "Glenn, your welcome."

They had to climb further up the building as the walkers as Glenn called them began to climb the ladder. Upon reaching the roof, Rick grabbed her hand, once again pulling Allie along. "Oh great, more ladders." She whined, following Glenn into the building. The boy pulled a walkie-talkie from his bag.

"I'm coming, got two guests and four geeks in the alley." He said as he led them down a staircase. Unfortunately two more waited at the bottom.

"Oh shit." Allie mumbled. But before anymore can move, two people came out of a door in makeshift armor and began to beat the moving corpses. Glenn ran and yelled at Rick and Allie to follow, so the lawman pulled them inside, the armor guys following.

They weren't in the door a second before a blonde had a gun at Rick's throat. " I outta kill you."

Allie stood frozen, her hand still firmly on Rick's. A tall black man, a shorter Hispanic, an older black woman, and Glenn looked at her. The Hispanic immediately began calling the blonde, Andrea, off. "If your going to shoot him, do it."

"No!" Allie cried out. "Please don't, he doesn't understand."

Andrea looked from Rick, to Allie, then to their hands, Allie's belly, and finally back to Rick. It was obvious Andrea backed off thinking Allie was his pregnant wife, but if it meant Rick's safety, Allie wasn't going to correct her. Andrea began to go on about how they're dead now, and the Hispanic grabbed Rick, pulling him along and causing Allie's hand to slip from his.

The Hispanic was obviously in charge of this outfit he began to yell things at Rick. Glenn looked to her. "You alright?"

She nodded, "I'll be fine."

"You're pretty fast, you know for a pregnant lady." He smiled.

She laughed in response, the feeling immediately changing to fear when she saw the front of the department store they were in to be swarmed with looked to Rick, "What the hell were you doing out there anyway?"

"Trying to flag the helicopter."

That was a first for Allie. She sure as hell didn't see a chopper, but she wasn't exactly looking up either. The others looked to Allie, and she just shrugged.

The Hispanic called the black man T-Dog, and told him to contact the others. "The refugee center?" Allie asked.

She was only met with sarcasm; meaning apparently with the rest of the city the center went under. Gunshots began to ring out and sounded like they were coming from above them. "Oh god, is that Dixon?"

"Dixon? Dixon who?" Allie yelled out hurriedly, thinking of her husband. No one answered, but the girl quickly followed everyone, hoping for the best. She followed them up the stairs, one hand on the rail, the other on her belly. Her heart seemed to beat hard in her chest, hopeful and anxious.

A man in his fifties stood on the ledge of the roof, his back to them as a fired off another shot. "Dixon, are you crazy?" The Hispanic yelled.

He turned and smiled, jumping down. "Aye, you outta' be more polite to a man with a gun. I mean that's just common sense and all."

Allie swallowed tightly and stood a little straighter. Her heart seemed to stop beating at the revelation of who this was. His name was Merle, and he was the insane older brother of her husband. Merle was an ex-marine, drug addict, and dangerous. Allie watched in shock as he got into a racial argument with T-Dog. The verbal fight turned physical, and Merle began attacking T-Dog and anyone who got in his way. The other pulled a beaten T-Dog away, and Merle stood and laughed.

"Now we're gon' talk about who's in charge." His back was still to Allie, and he had yet to notice her. "Anyone? Anyone?"

"Merle?" Allie spoke.

He spun to her, a the smile on his face widening further. "Well well, if it ain't little Allie Cat. Ole' Darylina will be happy to see you."

"Daryl? He's fine?" She asked quickly.

"Course. He's a damn Dixon. Stay back now, and little ole' Merle handle 'is." Allie nodded, elated that Daryl was fine. She learned quick when to stay out of Merle's way, and this was definitely one of those times. His tirade continued till Rick came up behind him with a pipe. He looked to Allie, almost for approval, so she nodded her head once. "Anybody, anybody?"

"Yeah, me." Dixon fell fast, but he wasn't out. Moving quickly Rick had him cuffed to a pipe and the two had a heated conversation. "All I am anymore is man looking for his wife and son. Anybody who gets in the way of that is gonna lose. I'll give you a moment to think about that." _Carl._ Allie remembered. Rick had called Duane Carl when Morgan found him. Allie watched as Rick flicked Merle's face and through the drugs from Merle's pocket over the ledge.

Merle began yelling at Rick as he walked away before turning to Allie. "Allie Cat get me outta these. Come on baby girl, help ole Merle out. Get me out of these fucking cuffs!" She flinched as he raised his free hand and slammed it down.

"How you know this bastard, you like him? All drugged up and shit?" T-Dog interrogated her.

"Can you take me to Daryl?" She asked ignoring his question. "You know where he is?"

"Thanks to this ingrate it doesn't look like anyone is getting out of here." Andrea rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"You alright, darlin'?" The black woman asked her.

"Look I may be related to him, but I don't want no trouble." She said, warily, leaning against the ledge.

The black woman laughed. "Don't mind Theodore, the name Dixon makes us a little nervous. Allie is it? I'm Jacqui, this is Andrea, and the man talking to your officer is Morales. Glenn," She said turning to him. "Get that water out of your bag and give a drink to Mamma here before she dies of heat stroke." He did as told and Allie smiled, grateful.

"Oh man," Morales said, "Hey Glenn, check the alley, see any manhole covers?" _The sewers._ Allie thought, putting two and two together. She watched hopeful, but Glenn shot them down.

"They must all be on the main street where the geeks are." Glenn guessed.

Jacqui thought quickly and corrected him. She explained in old buildings, there may be some in sub-basement. The group, minus Merle, a hurt T-Dog, and Allie, followed Glenn back inside to where the entrance to the sewer might be.

"Anybody out there? Hello, anybody read? I'm hoping to hear somebody's voice cause I'm getting real sick and tired of hearing mine." T-Dog said into the walkie-talkie. Allie sat beside him, occasionally passing him the water for a sip.

"Well that makes two of us." Merle growled. "Why don't you knock that off. You're givn' me a head ache."

"Why don't you pull your heat outcha ass. It might get rid of that head ache-"

"Why don't you both shut up?" Allie seethed, interrupting their fight. "Too damn hot for you two to be arguing."

"Don't sass me girl or I'll-"

"You'll what? Still be handcuffed?" Allie asked incredulously, causing T-Dog to snort.

Merle glared, but let it drop. "Where'd you go anyway? I mean how in the hell did your pregnant ass make it alone?"

"I wasn't. I went to visit my momma and daddy like I said, but I never made it there. I met some people in King County that took me in. Eventually, I met the

lawman." She answered. When she met Morgan and Duane his wife was still alive, it was actually her that took Allie in.

"It cause you gotta Dixon in ya, we can't be killed." Merle grinned.

"Yeah, like a damn cockroach." T-Dog rolled his eyes.

"He went lookin' for ya." Merle said suddenly. "Cried like a damn baby when the news said everyone in that area been killed. I kinda missed ya myself just so he'd shut up."

"He's ok, right? In this group." She asked.

"He gon' shit a brick when he realizes I found his little wife."

"Wife? Your married to the other Dixon?" T-Dog finally caught on. "He's an ass, but actually helpful unlike this fucker."

"Can you take me to him? If we get out of here?" She asked T-Dog, completely ignoring Merle.

"When we do, yeah I can."

The sewers idea failed, but even Allie couldn't put faith in this new idea. They all stood in lab coats and rubber gloves as Rick hacked at the walker, Wayne Dunlap, who lied in front of them. With each chop of the axe, the bones crushed and the putrid smell grew worse.

"Aw, I am so gonna hurl." Glenn moaned.

"Don't you dare, I'll join you." Allie threatened.

Together, they began to rub the guts and blood all over Rick and Glenn. "Think of something else, like puppies and kittens."

"Yeah, dead puppies and kittens." T-Dog grumbled. Allie barley moved away enough before Glenn vomited.

"Come on man, that was cruel." Andrea scolded.

"Next time let the cracker beat his ass." Jacqui supplied. Finally coated, Rick threw T-Dog the key to Merle's cuffs and left with Glenn.

In all honesty, Rick's plan was working, well until mother nature intervened. When those remaining made it back to the roof it began to pour. The rain that Georgia summers were notorious for left as quick as it came, but it was enough for the smell from Glenn and Rick down on the ground.

The next few moments happened fast, and Glenn radioed T-Dog saying to meet them on the street. Jacqui pulled her along, leaving T-Dog to uncuff Merle. Rick arrived right on time and Morales and Rick helped pull Allie into the truck. Allie looked around to see Merle wasn't with them.

"I dropped that damn key." T-Dog swore.

The ride back to the group's camp probably wasn't as long as Allie felt it was but, she knew Daryl was there making the kick's in belly feel more like a drumroll than a somber reminder they were alone.

"I wouldn't dwell on it," she heard Morales say to Rick. "Merle won't be missed, well except maybe by Daryl."

"Daryl?" Rick asked.

"His brother, but I think you may have brought something back to him he may want even more." In that moment Allie saw Morales glance back to her. Eventually the group arrived in what looked to be a quarry. "Come on, meet everybody."

The group vacated the truck, and Rick helped Allie out of the back. "It's ok, whatever happens. "Rick reassured her. "If he's not here, we'll keep moving and find them. Find our families."

She offered a tightlipped smile when they head Morales yell. "Hey helicopter boy, y'all come on out here."

Allie followed behind and saw each member be reunited with people and a little boy run out to Rick.

_Carl._ Despite the happiness Allie felt the Rick found his family, she couldn't help but frown.

Where was Daryl?


	2. Chapter 2

**September 18****th**** 2006**

Allison Eloise Parker was born in '84 to a poor faming family in Rockdale County just outside of King County, Georgia. Her daddy, Ishmael or Ibby for short, was a hog farmer, the family business that had been passed down for generations. Her momma, Evelyn, came from a wealthy family in Louisiana that had cut off contact when she married Ibby. Ibby and Ev were honest folk; they raised Allie with the best intentions and made do within their means. Despite their good nature, their daughter had it hard in school. She had blonde curly hair that was always out of control, her frame was too skinny and she hadn't quite grown in to her gangly limbs, and her teeth were as crooked as a dog's hind leg. Little Piggy, or just Hog Girl were the names the other children knew her as, and it had beat what little self esteem she had into the ground.

By her senior year, things were looking up. Her momma saved up enough money for braces, she finally hit five foot four and her curves filled in, and she discovered frizz eliminator for those humid Georgia days. Where Allie lacked friends, she made up in learning. Ibby Parker had always described his daughter as a sponge; she'd just sit and soak up any knowledge that passed her big blue eyes. Allie's hard work paid off and she accepted a full ride to the University of Georgia in Athens. At 22, Allie graduated with her teaching degree and accepted a job in Clayton County as a first grade teacher. About a month into the job, she made pretty fast friends with another first grade teacher, Melanie Adams.

"I told him he had lost his ever lovin' mind if he thought that was getting anywhere near my ass." Mel had told her at lunch one day. It was their break and Allie planned to spend it _alone_ with her book at the picnic tables outside, but Melanie found her. Melanie Adams was a vivacious woman, tall and curvy in all the right places. Her dark hair and eyes came from Mexico, on her mother's side, though she didn't speak a lick of Spanish (though she told men otherwise). She never really stuck with one man, and was currently explaining her flavor of the week. "I mean do I come off as one of those slutty women who just bend over?"

Allie continued to concentrate of eating her sandwich and not tell Mel what she really thought.

The loud roar of a truck pulling into the parking lot near the table caused the women to turn. It was a large white tow truck, rusted in various places and the words 'Martin's Auto' were in faded green on the side. "They must be here for Alex's sedan. Apparently the fool left his lights on when he got to work this morning. Speaking of lights, I was driving passed Stacey's house last night- you know the assistant with the big tits- and I saw Mark Sawsman in her liv-"

Allie stopped listening to the gossip falling from Mel's lips when a man got out of the truck. He looked early thirties, a dark tan on his skin that could have only come from hard work outside, and a scowl on his lips that screamed he'd much rather be anywhere else. He was handsome, well built and in shape. "Who is he?" Allie blurted, stopping Melanie mid-sentence.

"That?" Mel asked, a smirk slipping onto her ruby red lips. "Only the resident bad boy, Daryl Dixon. I guess he is pretty fine, I mean if you're into the mysterious Edward Cullen kind of thing. He and his brother live outside of town in some piece of shit trailer. He's a gets in fights, drinks too much, and talks-with-fists kinda guy. "

Either the Dixon guy really was a vampire with super hearing, or just lucky, cause he looked over and his dark blue eyes found her light ones. His expression changed to one of amusement then his eyes narrowed further, the scowl back. Allie felt frozen as her cheeks began to redden but she couldn't look away, and in her defense neither did he.

**Present Time**

Sleep wasn't something that came easily to Allie since she became pregnant. More often then not, her baby boy's sleep schedule was backwards to hers and the hours she tried to sleep, hard kicks and jabs were delivered to her abdomen. When Allie arrived at their camp, she knew she'd be safe for a while and she just wanted to sleep. After the awkward We're-Not-Upset-Your-Kin-Was-Left-To-Die introductions from the camp, Allie learned Daryl was hunting, and wouldn't be back till tomorrow. Dale, an elderly man that reminded her an awful lot of her daddy, offered her the couch in his RV to sleep on. The sun was just beginning to set when she fell asleep, and the first time in a long time she actually did.

"Merle!" A loud yell woke Allie. "Merle get your ugly ass out here, I got us some squirrel!"

The voice got louder as it grew closer, and Allie slowly got up. Yelling and a fight broke out, and Allie quickly moved down the RV stairs to stand next to Andrea.

"You best let me go!" The voice belonged to someone she had wanted to see for a long time. He looked pretty much the same, except his eyes held bags under them meaning he hadn't been sleeping much and his hair was in need of a good trim. Allie watched in horror as the man she loved was wrestled to the ground, in a chokehold, by the two lawman of the camp. Allie met Shane Walsh, who seemed to be leading the quarry camp, the night before and wasn't impressed. This wasn't helping his case. "Choke holding's illegal!"

"Then file a complaint." Shane smirked. Daryl's angry breath was now leaving his chest in short bursts of air as the hold grew tighter. "Come on now, I can do this all day."

"Now I want to have a calm discussion on this topic if you think you can manage that. Think you can manage that?" Rick challenged, bending down to where his face was a few centimeters from Daryl's. Allie immediately grew angry, angry at Rick for treating Daryl like he did something wrong for being upset that they left his brother. Her angry quickly changed to fear as Daryl's breathing still hadn't evened out.

"Let him go!" Allie's voice blurted, begging. "Please! Please just don't hurt him." She knew that when Rick looked to her, she looked a mess. Her wild curls where down, her face mixed with fear and anger as hot tears ran down her cheeks. "He didn't do nothing wrong, now let him go!"

Rick nodded once at Shane and he backed off, letting Daryl collapse on the ground. Daryl didn't turn around, almost as if he was too in shock over the situation to notice that was Allie talking. "What I did wasn't on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others."

"Besides, it's not all Rick's fault." T-Dog began, licking his lips nervously. "I had the key, I dropped it."

"And you couldn't of picked it up?" Daryl asked incredulously.

"I dropped in down a drain."

Allie watched him shift to his hands and knees and everyone was silent as he slowly stood, his back to Allie. "If that was supposed to make me feel better it don't."

"Merle was dangerous and put a lot of people at risk, including one you might care about."

"Care about?" Daryl growled. "Merle is the only family I have left, I don't give a rat's ass about these damn people. You, you son of bitch left him handcuffed to a roof!"

"Daryl?" Allie spoke, timidly stepping forward. She watched his head whip around and his dark blues found hers like they had almost four years ago. His face held the same scowl, his eyes the same amount of anger. Allie felt her chest tighten and she ignored the kicks in her belly. He just stared at her, and ran a hand over his face.

No one moved, all watching as Allie as she watched Daryl. Finally he spoke, his voice even more hoarse than moments before. "Al?"

Her head began to nod, tears falling even faster now. A large smile slowly broke across her face. "Yeah."

In two steps he crossed to her and the small blonde was cradled to his chest in a tight embrace. Her desperate fingertips gripped tightly onto his shirt as sob after sob ripped through her body. He didn't say anything, but buried his face in the top of her hair, and just held her. As her crying subsided, she rested her head in the crook of his neck and he rubbed soft circles on back. Allie didn't notice when the others around them moved away, but when they broke apart, still standing face-to-face and as close as possible, she was thankful they had. Two large calloused hands framed either side of her face, and she overlapped them with her own. "Hey."

"Hi." She giggled, sniffling slightly. His eyes just kept running over her face and he used his thumb to brush away her tears. Unanswered questions were written all over his expression, so she figured she just better start talking.

"I never made it to Rockdale." She whispered. "I had to stop for gas in King County, and people where packing up their cars, their lives and driving anywhere else. I got gas and went into pay, but the cashier…we all thought he was dead." Allie closed her eyes a moment and remembered the man lying behind the counter and seeing the large bite mark in his neck. "I watched as he opened his eyes and attacked the lady next to me. I ran back to my car and drove and l lived out of it for a few days when a family found me and took me in. They saved me, and then Rick, that sheriff, he came and took me to Atlanta with him. We hadn't gotten news it was overrun. We ran into the others, and they led us here."

"I looked for you." He whispered. "I looked till the military came in and started shootin'. They said nobody survived. But here you are, you came back to me like you always do." His arms were back around her, and hers around his neck, there foreheads resting against one another. She nodded a small smile on her face. Moments like these were rare in their marriage; she had gotten better at reading Daryl's emotions in his eyes but he rarely actually voiced what was going on in his head. "God, look at 'cha." He laughed softly, changing the conversation. She followed his eyes down to her belly that was pressed against him.

She laughed as well and his hands moved to rest on either side of it. "It's been almost two months."

"You've got a real belly now!" He laughed, smiling, another rare Daryl moment. "How's my little man?" She smiled, and moved his hand to where 'his little man' was kicking. "Gonna be a pro boxer."

"Nah, just a Dixon."

* * *

Allie knew eventually their bubble had to burst and Daryl formed a plan with Rick. He, Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn would return to Atlanta to retrieve Merle. Daryl led to where his tent was and she watched him get everything he needed to leave. "Girl I feel you watchin' me, just say your peace."

"Please just be careful." She whispered. "Get in and get out ok? I just got you back." He stopped moving and looked up at her. "The lawman means well, but honestly I think he's a little stupid."

"Come on Al, gimme some credit." Daryl smirked. "I can handle my own, and the Chinaman may be annoyin' but he's fast and knows the layout. We'll be back soon. Do me a favor and get a knife outta my truck and skin about six of those squirrel while I'm gone." She nodded, crossing her arms. Daryl looked up and at her and sighed. He stepped closer placing both his hands on her shoulders. "I can't leave him there, even if he's an ass hole. He's still Merle." Her expressiondidn't change so he pressed further. "What is it now?"

"Daryl do you hate me?" She whispered, looking down.

"The hell?" Any other time she would've laughed at the expression on his face, his eyebrows raised high. "Where would you get a crazy idea like that?"

"I was with them, the group that left Merle behind. I thought they were going to get him, but he was drugged up and actin' so crazy. I didn't know what to do I-"

He cut her off with a kiss to her lips, and his hand rested on the back of her neck. "Ain't your fault. If Merle is anything, it's difficult. Don't ever think otherwise. Now, I'm gon' go get the fucker, so you stay here and stay safe. Keep away from that pig and that shithead Ed, I don't trust 'em."

The entire walk to the truck Allie heard everyone's peace on why this was a reckless idea. It was actually Rick that stepped up and said it was cruel to let anything die like that, including Merle Dixon. Allie knew they were doing the right thing, but at the same time a part of her agreed Merle wasn't worth it. "He's gonna be fine." A young girl said beside her. Her name was Amy, barely eighteen. "Daryl's tough and he'll be back soon."

Allie nodded, smiling at the girl's effort.

It didn't take long to skin the squirrels as Daryl asked; it was simple, something her daddy taught her years ago when she first learned to hunt. She put the skins in one pile and the meat in a pot to take to Dale to cook. "Looks good."

She looked up from her handy work to see Carol, a woman with short grey hair smiling at her. Carol was quiet and very well mannered. She didn't stray far from her overbearing husband Ed, but Allie got the feeling he was abusive. Carol today had a basket of laundry with her. "I think it's for stew tonight."

Carol smiled at her a moment, "Oh, I brought you a dress. It belonged to Dale's wife Irma. She passed before all this mess but he found it in the RV. It may be a little loose, but I think it'll do just fine. Wipe your hands clean best you can and change, then you can come down to the water and get properly cleaned and we'll wash your other dress."

Allie did as told and went in the other tent to change. The dress was blue, almost the shade of Daryl's eyes. It was spaghetti strapped and had a sweetheart neckline. The dress had a slightly fitted empire waist so it sat just under her breasts and pronounced the curve of her belly. The dress fit perfect. Allie wasn't sure why, but when she approached Dale with dinner tears were in her eyes.

"Ah, you look beautiful." Dale smiled. "I haven't seen someone in that dress in a long time. Here sweetheart, let me get that from you." He took it from her, catching the look in her eyes. "Everything ok?"

She shook her head, "It's silly."

"I hear silly things all the time." Dale chuckled for a moment then continued, "But if it's bothering you, then it probably isn't silly."

"It's just…just that since everything that's happened, people seemed to forget how to treat people like people." Allie softly mumbled. Dale gave her a smile and nodded his head urging her to continue. "Yet y'all here don't know me from Adam, and you're being so…" She shook her head and looked down again.

"Overbearing?" Dale chuckled.

"Kind." She whispered looking up to meet his eyes. Before Allie could blink she was brought into a hug, one that reminded her of her fathers.

"In a world full of nightmares, our humanity is all we got left."

* * *

Allie wasn't sure when everything turned bad. She didn't complain when she helped Dale finish preparing dinner, and she didn't mind doing laundry with the other women; Allie even laughed when the conversation turned to sex toys. But like all sticky situations, once this one got a whiff of something in the wrong direction it all flew south, fast. First that big redneck had to smack around his wife, the lawman, who seemed to have misplaced his brain at the academy, beat Ed into a pulp. And lastly a camper named Jim had to go and act as a harbinger of death and dig everyone a nice and comfy grave. But when shit really hit the fan, that didn't happen till later. Everything was looking up, Ed stayed with his bruised face and ego inside his tent, Shane Walsh calmed the fuck back down, and Jim, Jim finally quit diggin', albeit the lawman had to tie him to a tree first. It all went bad when the sun went down and the real demons came out to play.

The curly haired blonde felt as if she was back on that horse with Rick as the same slow motion feeling came over her when she looked at Amy. At first all she heard was the blood pumping in her ears, but the veiled pulse was shattered by the girl's loud screams as everything was brought back to full speed. The walker sunk it teeth deep into the girl and before Allie could blink they were swarmed by many more. Allie stood as quickly as she could only a walker to knock her back down, snapping its jaws as she shoved as hard as she could. Allie was pinned so she screamed, as loud as she could and a bat connected with the walker's head, sending it away.

"GO!" Jim screamed, hitting the walker again. "Run!"

She scooted back, and turned on her knees and began to crawl over to a yellow truck. Thankfully the door was unlocked so Allie crawled inside. She instinctively locked the doors, lied down in the seat and covered her ears as she tried to block out the screams, alive and the dead.

Eventually the guns stopped, and only a voice could be heard over Allie blocking her ears. "ALLISON!" Daryl's voice screamed. "ALLISON WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

* * *

**Hello! So I guess this will be a little author's note. For starters, thank you to everyone who followed/favorited and especially reviewed. This is the first time I've ever really done something like this and it lit up my day. Also I am sooo sorry it took so long to write, I actually thought it'd be fun to get crazy sick. Hopefully the next one will be much faster. The whole past and present thing...It's going to happen a lot, but not every chapter to show how they became them and the man who is as sensitive as a prickly cactus actually fell in love. So feel free to say if that transition confused anyone. With that being said, Daryl will behave a little different because he has Allie but despite this chapter he will not be all mushy. So sorry that all you guys saw of him was out of his element, but as we all know, he doesn't do anymore major leaving for a long while so you'll get a whole lot of Dixon action XD. I believe that is it, lemme know what you think!**

**xoxo, Mrs. Norris.**


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